State education officials are blaming a testing vendor for the delayed release of state standardized test results.

Districts now have their results, but the holdup caused unease for some seniors whose graduation could be contingent on passing the state’s subject area tests.

Schools were also waiting for the results of a test that bars promoting third-graders unable to meet certain literacy standards.

Mississippi requires third-grade students to pass a state literacy exam, known as the reading gate, before advancing to the fourth grade.

Teachers at Booker T. Washington Elementary dressed as Star Wars movie characters during the schools annual STAAR pep rally held to help encourage students to do well on their STAAR test.(Photo: CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS)

Districts were expecting on Friday to receive third-grade reading scores and scores needed prior to graduation from Quester Assessment Inc., which administers the state’s exam, but superintendents were told late Friday afternoon by Walt Drane, executive director of MDE’s office of student assessment, the results would be late.

“Questar has failed to deliver on their promise to provide these date files at the agreed upon time,” he said in an email.

Drane said MDE expected to receive the files by 8 p.m. Friday. That never happened.

“At this time, MDE is being told by Questar that the files will be delivered sometime later tonight,” Drane said in an update to school officials Friday evening.

An after-hours call to Questar along with a request for a comment to an MDE spokeswoman on Friday was not immediately returned.

Last month, the state Board of Education renewed Mississippi’s contract with Questar Assessment for more than $10 million.

Mississippi is in its third year of a 10-year contract with Questar, which was approved by the state board in 2015 to administer Mississippi’s statewide assessments to students in third through eighth grade. The company is also responsible for administering the state’s end-of-course exams for Algebra I and English II.